Africa Unites in Cultural Festival

Pretoria - The annual four-day Gcwala-Ngamasiko Cultural Festival is expected to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the continent.

As part of Africa Day activities, the Department of Arts and Culture and the African Cultural Music and Dance Association will host the festival on 25 May 2014 in Kliptown, Soweto.

This year, the participating countries will include Algeria, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania, Seychelles and Mozambique.

The Gcwala-Ngamasiko Cultural Festival, which was established in 2004, deepens cultural integration and ensures that Africans learn about and embrace one another regardless of nationality, race, creed and religion.

"Its primary focus is unity and preservation of African indigenous knowledge, cultural history and Ubuntu among Africans. The festival serves as a catalyst to promote cultural partnerships amongst African nations," the department said in a statement.

In line with the Mzansi Golden Economy strategy, the festival creates part-time employment for hundreds of individuals across the continent.

The department said the festival has a potential of making a huge impact in the way African people value their cultures and traditions which contributes towards African Renaissance.

"It enhances people to people relations amongst African people while creating a market for cultural goods and services from the continent."

The festival will be preceded by workshops (20-22 May) and a welcome dinner (23 May) for all at Kliptown.

The theme for the 2014 Gcwala-Ngamasiko cultural festival is "Africa United in Cultural Diversity to Build a Caring and Better Continent".

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